Flora of North America species comparison

30–140 cm.

often nodding, 20–90 cm, vegetative culms inconspicuous with few leaves clustered at apex.

sheaths adaxially conspicuously green-veined nearly to collar, narrow hyaline band or sharp Y-shaped region at collar, adaxially firm, sometimes papillose, summits U-shaped;

distal ligules 2.8–8 mm;

blades 3–7 per fertile culm, 11–50 cm × 2.5–6 mm.

sheaths abaxially hyaline, adaxially whitish mottled, summits U-shaped, shortly prolonged less than 2.8 mm beyond collar, smooth or sometimes papillose (at 30X);

distal ligules 1–2 mm;

blades 3–5 per fertile culm, 15–35 cm × 1.3–2.5(–3) mm.

dense or open, pale green or brown, 2–6.5 cm × 7–20 mm;

proximal internode 3–13 mm; 2d internode 4–10 mm;

proximal bracts scalelike with bristle tips shorter than inflorescences.

often flexible and nodding, open, with elongate spikes, brown, (2–)2.5–5 cm × 7–10 mm;

proximal internode (4–)7–17(–20) mm; 2d internode (3–)6–10 mm;

proximal bracts scalelike or to 1(–4) cm;

rachis usually thin and wiry.

3–11, distant, distinct, ellipsoid to ovoid, 6–20 × 4–9 mm, base rounded or short-acute, apex broadly acute to obtuse.

3–8, distant or loosely aggregated, ovoid to globose, 4–10 × 3.5–6 mm, base tapered or clavate, apex rounded.

± spreading, light or golden brown, faintly 3–8-veined on each face, obovate, flat except over achene, 4–5.5 × 2.5–3.8 mm, 0.4–0.5 mm thick, margin flat, including wing 0.8–1.5 mm wide;

beak light brown at tip, flat, 0.85–2.2 mm, ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture with light brown margin, distance from beak tip to achene 1.8–3 mm.

erect to ascending, brown, conspicuously 5–7-veined abaxially, veinless or faintly 3–7-veined adaxially, ovate to broadly ovate, plano-convex, 2.8–4(–4.5) × 1.4–1.9(–2) mm, 0.4–0.5 mm thick, 2–2.3 times as long as wide, margin flat, including wing 0.1–0.5 mm wide, ciliate-serrulate at least distally;

beak spreading, appressed or ascending;

straw colored to reddish brown at tip, flat, ± ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture inconspicuous, distance from beak tip to achene 1.3–2.7 mm.

oblong, 1.7–2 × 0.9–1.1 mm, 0.3–0.4 mm thick.

ovate, 1.3–1.7 × 0.85–1.1 mm, 0.5 mm thick.

scales white-hyaline or tan, with green midstripe extending to tip, lanceolate, 2.8–3.5(–3.8) mm, shorter or longer and much narrower than perigynia, apex firm, acuminate or awned to 0.8 mm.

scales white-hyaline or pale brown with green to brown midstripe not reaching scale tip, proximal scales ovate, 2.3–3.3 mm, shorter by 0–1.6 mm and narrower than perigynia, apex obtuse on proximal scales, acute on distal.

= 74.

= 52, 54, 56.